Cash help for Hertfordshire farmers and landowners hit by shameful blight of fly-tipping

£20,000 is being made available for victims of fly-tipping to help them clear up the rubbish left behind.

Hertfordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner is behind the pilot scheme in Welwyn Hatfield, St Albans, Broxbourne and Three Rivers.

Commissioner David Lloyd believes it's not fair that farmers and landowners are left to pick up the bill.

He said: "Fly tipping is a serious crime and it has a significant impact on our community. It blights the countryside and causes substantial costs for farmers and landowners to clear the waste and poses a danger to livestock and wildlife.

"I do not believe it is fair that farmers and landowners are left to pick up a bill, which can run in to thousands of pounds, because someone else has fly tipped on their property.

"Our relentless drive to support bringing offenders to justice by funding enforcement measures, making improvements to security and educating the public on responsible waste disposal, saw a 17.9 per cent drop in fly tipping across Hertfordshire."

Mr Lloyd continued: "This pilot allows funds from the proceeds of crime to be used for positive effect to remove fly tipping, target known hot-spots and advise landowners and farmers on improving security.

"As part of my Community Safety and Criminal Justice Plan I pledged to investigate the potential of using money recovered from criminals to be put to good use in this way.

The CLA represents farmers, landowners and rural businesses across Hertfordshire. CLA East Regional Director Ben Underwood said: "With almost two-thirds of farmers and landowners affected by fly-tipping each year, with some targeted multiple times each month, we need to take stronger action against this serious crime.

"As it stands currently, landowners affected by a fly-tipping incident can be subject to prosecution if they do not remove the waste from their land. It can cost them more than £800 on average to clear each incident."

To be eligible for the funding farmers or green space landowners will have to prove they already have a waste disposal contract in place with an authorised collection firm.

Anyone interested in making a claim or finding out more information can contact the Environmental team at one of the four district councils and mention the Police and Crime Commissioner's private land fly tipping pilot.